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Alexander edited this page May 26, 2020 · 23 revisions

Welcome to the vfdmod wiki!

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Table of contents

  1. Quick start
  2. PyVcp generator
  3. Configuration file description

Quick start

  • Create a blank configuration file:

    vfdmod --new > my-config-file.ini

  • Open my-config-file.ini in a text editor (gedit, mcedit, mousepad etc.) and write the correct parameters of your VFD.

  • Check configuration file for errors:

    vfdmod --check my-config-file.ini

    If everything is fine you will see a message --- Config file is OK --- or wrong parameter name in case of error.

  • Attach vfdmod to your LinuxCNC machine configuration, in the most cases you have to append to custom.hal these lines:

    # If you wish to see debug messages insert --debug flag
# loadusr -W vfdmod --debug my-config-file.ini

loadusr -W vfdmod my-config-file.ini

net spindle-speed-cmd => vfdmod.spindle.rpm-in
net spindle-at-speed <= vfdmod.spindle.at-speed
net spindle-cw => vfdmod.control.run-forward
net spindle-ccw => vfdmod.control.run-reverse

  • Be sure your main HAL file contains signal names above. For example, in some configurations signal spindle-speed-cmd may be replaced by spindle-vel-cmd-rpm.

  • Run your LinuxCNC machine and make sure vfdmod component is loaded and it's pins are available:

    HAL pin name Pin type I/O Description
    vfdmod.spindle.rpm-in float in Spindle command speed
    vfdmod.spindle.rpm-out float out Spindle output speed
    vfdmod.spindle.at-speed bit out Spindle is at speed
    vfdmod.control.run-forward bit in Run forward input
    vfdmod.control.run-reverse bit in Run reverse input
    vfdmod.control.fault-reset bit in Fault reset input
    vfdmod.rs485.is-connected bit out Connection status pin
    vfdmod.rs485.error-count s32 out Total error count
    vfdmod.rs485.last-error s32 out Last error code
    vfdmod.parameters.xxx * out User defined pins

PyVcp generator

Vfdmod provides to make a very simple PyVcp control panel that indicates communication state, current spindle speed, at speed state and all user defined parameters.

  • Make a pair of files (xml & hal):

    vfdmod --pyvcp my-config-file.ini > my-pyvcp-panel.xml
vfdmod --postgui my-config-file.ini > postgui.hal

  • Attach these files to your machine INI file:

    ...
[DISPLAY]
PYVCP = my-pyvcp-panel.xml
...
[HAL]
POSTGUI_HALFILE = postgui.hal

Configuration file description

Configuration file is a plain text INI file that includes five predefined groups and any count of user defined groups. Each group includes few required and optional parameters. Predefined groups are provide VFD's basic functionality, such as: start, stop, fault reset, setting a frequency, reading an output speed and at speed state. User groups are allow to monitor any count of the additional parameters: output voltage, output current, temperature, uptime etc.

Predefined group names are:

  • [Common]
  • [RS485]
  • [Control]
  • [SpindleRpmIn]
  • [SpindleRpmOut]

An optional user groups can be named at user's choice, the only condition is group name shall be unique and differ from other groups. For example: [User parameter], [user-parameter], [123], [Output voltage], [Uptime]. As you can see spaces are allowed, but please note all group names (and parameters too) are case insensitive, so [RS485] and [rs485] are the same.

Common group

Parameter Required Default value Range
ComponentName No vfdmod an ASCII string
MaxSpeedRPM Yes unsigned integer
MinSpeedRPM Yes unsigned integer
AtSpeedThreshold No 0.05 0.00 ... 1.00
  • Use ComponentName if you wish to set your own HAL component name instead of default vfdmod value. In that case don't forget to edit your custom.hal: 
    # Replace -W by -Wn with HAL component name
loadusr -Wn <component-name> vfdmod my-config-file.ini
  • Spindle limits shall be defined by MaxSpeedRPM and MinSpeedRPM parameters, note that MaxSpeedRPM shall be greater than (or equal to) MinSpeedRPM, and MinSpeedRPM shall be greater than zero.
  • AtSpeedThreshold sets the maximum allowed difference between command speed and output speed. If difference is lower or equal to specified value then HAL at-speed output will be set to TRUE, and to FALSE in other case. Value 1.00 means 100%, 0.25 means 25%, 0.05 means 5% (default) etc.

RS485 group

Parameter Required Default value Range
SlaveAddress Yes 0 ... 255
SerialDevice Yes an ASCII string
BaudRate Yes 9600, 19200 etc.
DataBits No 8 always 8
Parity No N N, E, O
StopBits No 1 1 or 2
LoopDelay No 200 0 ... 10000
ProtocolDelay No 4 0 ... 100
IsConnectedDelay No 10 1 ... 100
ConnectionErrorList No comma separated integers
ConnectionDelay No 1000 0 ... 10000
  • SlaveAddress sets the address of the VFD, for example 1.
  • SerialDevice sets communication device path, for example /dev/ttyS0.
  • BaudRate sets communication speed, for example 38400.
  • DataBits sets data bits count, shall be 8.
  • Parity sets parity checking mode: N - without parity, E - even, O - odd.
  • StopBits sets stop bits count, shall be 1 or 2.
  • LoopDelay sets the delay in milliseconds when all VFD's registers have been read and written.
  • ProtocolDelay sets the delay in characters at front of every MODBUS request. MODBUS specification requires at least 3,5 characters, so a value lower than 4 has no sense. Increase it if connection is not stable and CRC errors are growing.
  • IsConnectedDelay sets the minimum count of successful Modbus requests to set HAL is-connected pin to TRUE. In case of any transmit error this HAL pin will be set to FALSE immediately.
  • ConnectionErrorList sets the critical errors codes that cause reconnection event. During reconnection current MODBUS connection will be closed and re-opened. If this parameter is empty then reconnection mode will be disabled.
  • ConnectionDelay sets the delay in milliseconds between reconnection attempts if parameter ConnectionErrors is not empty.

Control group

Parameter Required Default value Range
FunctionCode No 0x06 0x06, 0x10, 0x05, 0x0F
  • FunctionCode sets the communication function code to control a VFD, only four functions are supported:
    • write single holding register (0x06)
    • write multiple holding registers (0x10)
    • write single coil (0x05)
    • write multiple coils (0x0F)

Parameters below are valid if FunctionCode is 0x06 (default vlaue) or 0x10!

Parameter Required Default value Range
Address Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
RunForwardValue Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
RunReverseValue Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
FaultResetValue No 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
StopValue Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
  • Address sets the address of the control register.
  • RunForwardValue sets the value that turns spindle on in forward direction (clockwise).
  • RunReverseValue sets the value that turns spindle on in reverse direction (counter clockwise).
  • FaultResetValue sets the value that resets VFD fault state. If this parameter is not specified then fault reset function will be disabled.
  • StopValue sets the value that stops spindle off.

Parameters below are valid if FunctionCode is 0x05 or 0x0F!

Parameter Required Default value Range
RunCoil Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
DirectionCoil Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
FaultResetCoil No 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
  • RunCoil sets the address of the run/stop coil.
  • DirectionCoil sets the address of the direction coil.
  • FaultResetCoil sets the address of the fault reset coil. If this parameter is not specified then fault reset function will be disabled.

SpindleRpmIn group

Parameter Required Default value Range
FunctionCode No 0x06 0x06, 0x10
Address Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
Multiplier No 1 unsigned integer
Divider No 1 unsigned integer
  • FunctionCode sets the communication function code to set VFD's command frequency, only two functions are supported:
    • write single holding register (0x06)
    • write multiple holding registers (0x10)
  • Address defines address of the command speed (or frequency) register.
  • Multiplier and Divider are integer values that correct command speed value before it will be written to the command speed register. For example, if command speed is 2667 rpm, Multiplier is 3, Divider is 2, then command speed register value will be (2667 * 3 / 2) = 4000.

SpindleRpmOut group

Parameter Required Default value Range
Address Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
Multiplier No 1 unsigned integer
Divider No 1 unsigned integer
  • Address defines address of the output speed (or frequency) register.
  • Multiplier and Divider are integer values that correct output speed after output speed register has been read. For example, if register stores 4000, Multiplier is 2, Divider is 3, then spindle output speed will be (4000 * 2 / 3) = 2667 rpm.

User parameter group

Parameter Required Default value Range
FunctionCode No 0x03 0x01, 0x03
  • FunctionCode sets the communication function code to read a user defined parameter, only two functions are supported:
    • read multiple coils (0x01)
    • read multiple holding registers (0x03)

Function code 0x01 allows to read a bit value (coil) and creates HAL pin of bit type. Function code 0x03 allows to read a register and creates one of four HAL pins at user choice: bit, float, s32 or u32.

Parameters below are valid if FunctionCode is 0x01!

Parameter Required Default value Range
Address Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
PinName Yes an ASCII string w/o spaces
  • Address defines an address of the coil, that stores user parameter.
  • PinName sets the HAL pin name. Two pins will be created automatically: direct and inverted with -not ending. For example, if PinName=overheating, then two pins will be available in HAL: vfdmod.parameters.overheating and vfdmod.parameters.overheating-not.

Parameters below are valid if FunctionCode is 0x03 (default)!

Parameter Required Default value Range
Address Yes 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
PinType Yes bit, float, s32, u32
Multiplier No 1 unsigned integer
Divider No 1 unsigned integer
BitMask No 0xFFFF 0x0000 ... 0xFFFF
PinName Yes an ASCII string w/o spaces
  • Address defines an address of the register, that stores user parameter.
  • PinType sets the HAL pin type.
  • Multiplier and Divider are used to correct a value that has been read from user register. These parameters are valid if PinType is not bit.
  • BitMask is a bit mask that logically multiplies to a value returned from register. If result is not zero then the HAL output pin will be set to TRUE, or to FALSE in other case. This parameter is valid if PinType is bit.
  • PinName sets the HAL pin name. If PinType=bit then two pins will be created automatically: direct and inverted with -not ending. For example, if PinName=overheating, then two pins will be available in HAL: vfdmod.parameters.overheating and vfdmod.parameters.overheating-not.
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